What is the gospel?
What is the gospel? There is perhaps no question more important than this, because the gospel is the very heart of the Christian faith. Without it, we have no message to proclaim, no power to transform, and no hope to offer.
If someone asked me, “What is the gospel, and how do I respond to it?” this is what I’d say.
Gospel simply means good news, and the Christian gospel is the best news you’ll ever hear.
The Bible says that every one of us was created by God, and we were made to know Him. But somewhere along the way, every one of us has walked away. We all know what it’s like to make choices we regret, to hurt people, to be hurt by people, to carry guilt, shame, anger, addiction, pride, or bitterness. Some of us have cleaner stories than others, but every one of us needs rescuing. Thats why the Bible says all we like sheep have gone astray, each of us turned in our own separate ways…
The problem isn’t just that we’ve made mistakes. The problem is that our sin has separated us from the God who made us. We can’t fix that by trying harder, becoming more religious, or cleaning ourselves up. If we could save ourselves, we wouldn’t need a Savior.
That’s why Jesus came.
Jesus is God, and he who stepped into our world. He lived the life none of us has lived—a life of perfect love and complete obedience to His Father. Then He willingly went to the cross. He wasn’t dying because He deserved it. He was dying for people who did.
On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the judgment that our sin deserved so that everyone who trusts Him could receive what they don’t deserve: forgiveness, acceptance, and peace with God. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving that sin had been defeated, death had been conquered, and that He is alive today.
So the gospel is not good advice, it is good news. It is headlines about what God has done for you. It’s not just advice about how to live a better life. It’s the announcement that Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.
Ray Ortlund puts it well, “The gospel is good news for bad people through the finished work of Christ on the cross, received with the empty hands of faith.”
The question now is: How do you respond?
It’s simple. You come to Jesus, by faith.
You stop trusting in yourself and start trusting in Him. You admit that you need Him. You turn away from the old life that has been leading you further from God, you receive him as Saviour and Lord, and you begin following him. You receive His forgiveness as a gift, not as something you can earn.
That doesn’t mean your life instantly becomes easy. It doesn’t mean every struggle disappears overnight. But it does mean you’re no longer alone. God welcomes you as His child and joins you to his family, the church. He gives you a new heart, His Holy Spirit to live within you, and you start to experience the power to change from the inside out. The same God who forgives you also begins to transform you.
Maybe you think you’ve gone too far. Maybe you’ve made choices you can’t undo. Maybe people have written you off—or you’ve written yourself off.
The good news is that Jesus specializes in saving people who know they need saving. He welcomes sinners. He restores the broken. He gives hope to the hopeless. No one is beyond His grace. In fact, only those who admit their need can come to Jesus. As He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31–32).
So don’t wait until you’ve cleaned yourself up. Come to Him as you are. Trust Him. Receive His mercy. Follow Him.
That's the gospel. It's not about what you've done for God. It's about what God has done for you through Jesus Christ. If you've never responded to this good news before, the invitation is simple: repent by turning from your sin and from trusting in yourself, and put your faith in Jesus Christ alone. If you do, tell someone, speak to a Christian friend or a trustworthy pastor, find a Bible-focused church that preaches this good news. Take the step of joining yourself to the people of God through baptism, publicly declaring that you belong to Jesus.
And if you're not sure where you stand with God, or you'd simply like to talk more about what it means to follow Jesus, I'd love to help. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me (phil@sojournlife.ca).
